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The Outsiders
There but for the grace of God go I. That is the thought in the minds, on the lips, and in the hearts of every superhero young and old when the subject of the Outsiders comes up. The tale of the Outsiders is truly a tell of heartbreak because they are living proof that the old adage is true: The public loves its superheroes but it loves to watch them all even more. History of The Outsiders The Outsiders first came to public notice explosively in the spring of 1996. A chemical factory in the North Hills district of Millennium City exploded in the wee hours of the morning, killing a dozen people and trapping three dozen more workers inside. Rescue workers were frantic, having no ability to get inside to rescue the men and then, like angels of mercy, the Outsiders arrived. Their rescue of the factory workers put the Outsiders on the front page of every newspaper in Paradigm City. These tightly knit family of super heroes--Warhammer, Velvet, Scattershot, Prism, Racoon, Panda, Blitzkrieg, and Horoscopy--were instant fan favorites although each were certainly embarrassed to be receiving such accolades. Over the next decade the Outsiders would continue to be held up as icons of what a good hero team should be. They fought crime, they stuck around after the battle to help civilians caught in the crossfire, they donated tremendous amounts of money to victim relief campaigns. They made public appearances at hospitals, they donated time to make public appearances for charity, and they politely refused any attempt by fans, the public, and local government to remunerate them for all the good they did. The Outsiders battled ferociously for city and country. They took on some of the most foul names in crime, including Doctor Destroyer, The Brotherhood and their particular arch-nemesis team, the Ultimates. They are credited with saving Paradigm City from disaster a record seven times. They saved Earth itself twice, once from Doctor Destroyer and again during the Toogarth Invasion of 2002. The Outsiders and their founding principles were the rock on which Paragon built The Defender's League. And then The Outsiders took on an up-and-coming young crime boss answering to the name of Mastermind. The Outsiders alone seemed to recognize the future threat that Mastermind posed to Paradigm City and focused almost all of their efforts on finding him and bringing him to justice. Mastermind, at first, was amused and enjoyed himself sending the team a few red herrings to make them chase their tails. But he became annoyed, then anxious, then honestly frightened that the Outsiders continued to inexorably close in on him despite all of his best efforts. In one last ditch ploy, Mastermind set his greatest plan into action. The result saw Paradigm City turn against its most beloved defenders almost overnight. It was a bright late morning in Paradigm City when Jacobi Hundrament, Ambassador from Ergonia, met for a photo op with city officials and The Outsiders. The hundreds of spectators on the site and thousands watching on TV were horrified when halfway through the ceremony a huge band of masked criminals, known only as the Red Eyes, arrived and began opening fire. The Outsiders sprung into action but alas, too late. The ambassador had been killed. The subsequent investigation took three weeks to complete, and another two weeks when the astonished researchers double-checked their findings. There could be no doubt. The death of the ambassador was a political assassination. The bullet that killed him came from Scattershot. City officials and Ergonian officials both immediately called for the heads of The Outsiders. As proper heroes would do, the hero team wasted no time in turning themselves in. They were certain that the evidence at the facts would exonerate them from the crime they had been accused of. Their attorney put up a valiant fight in the seven month long televised trial that took place. The attorney was good. But sadly, Chief Executive District Attorney Jason Wynnegard was better. Much to the shock of The Outsiders and the grim satisfaction of the Ergonian ministry, The Outsiders were convicted of murder in the first degree. All of them, except Velvet, were sentenced to 25 years to life in Tranquility. Velvet was entirely a different matter. Because she was an anthropomorphic animal, Velvet was not afforded the same rights as her team mates. As her husband Warhammer looked on in fury and Velvet's daughter, Prism, wept Velvet herself remained stone-faced as the judge ordered her executed on the grounds that she was a vicious animal whom had attacked and killed a human being. Velvet kissed her husband goodbye and tried to console her daughter. Seeing his wife and daughter like that, the stress of the trial, and the outrage of the conviction caused something deep in Warhammer to break. He attacked, and when the dust was settled two court officers were critically injured, a reporter was in dire need of medical attention, Judge Wincock was dead, and The Outsiders had escaped. The once dearly loved and esteemed superhero group had gone rogue, and were immediately declared outlaws. At first The Outsiders simply hid themselves and tried to escape notice. But as they watched news reports, commentaries, and public opinion about them sway from delighted to abhorred they grew angry. When they saw themselves (actually actors hired by Mastermind and illusioned to look like the team) robbing banks, fighting Millennium City police officers, and threatening the Mayor all without one single person--not including the Defender's League, the grand heroes were too smart to fall for such play-acting--questioning any of it as being a set up, The Outsider's anger blossomed into rage. If the public wanted super-villains, they would get them. Today, The Outsiders remain uniquely feared and hated in Millennium City. They have become a sort of parahuman bogeyman used to warn children to stay away from crime, to warn law enforcement not to bother local crime bosses, and the blame for any super-human crime that takes place without explanation is almost always laid at the feet of The Outsiders. They are a very dangerous criminal group, and while they still go out of their way to never kill an innocent civilian they certainly don't care any more in civilians die during one of their heists or battles with Heroes Unlimited. The Outsiders long ago stopped seeking redemption, and if it were offered to them now it would likely be far, far too late. The Outsiders, Unleashed Because The Outsiders were convicted of murder their true civilian names, occupations, and addresses were released to the public and are a matter of court record. Each of the Outsiders are wanted on numerous counts of manslaughter, assault, mayhem, menacing, and many other lesser, petty crimes. Warhammer '-- Maximillian Xanon comes from a long line of Grecian nobles including his very own father, Victor Xenon; whom also happens to be the leader of the Canadian terrorist group The Ultimates. Xenon his a charming man with positive moral convictions whom has been consumed by hate. The six foot eight 388 pound Xenon had a successful career in logistics and owned his own company of analysts for hire. His conviction of a crime he didn't commit cost him everything, and it nearly cost him his wife. Warhammer is rage incarnate, showing no compassion or mercy to superheroes; as far as he is concerned it was superheroes that were responsible for the Outsider's downfall. He's convinced that the core team of the Defender's League set the Outsiders up out of jealousy and spite and he takes his fury and frustration out on any heroes who get in his way. Warhammer is a masterful tactician whom has made an intense study of Kyotoshuken, a Japanese martial art that focuses on breaking things with chi. He attacks very aggressively, his emphasis always on rapid blows and speed. Each strike, each kick, and each hold is designed to go ''through the foe, shattering bones and puncturing organs. Kyotoshuken is not a forgiving style. Even more dangerous is the well-known fact that Warhammer is a genetic mutant with the power to transform his body into a dull orange stone-like substance that is impervious to even bazooka strength offenses. When Warhammer transforms her gains additional mass, coming in at a total weight of three tons. His strength likewise increases, allowing him to lift up to 50 tons of weight. Warhammer takes his name from his weapons of choice: two specialized and oversized sledge-hammers held together by a three foot long chain. Warhammer uses these weapons as a martial artist uses a three-sectioned staff; striking with one hammer and blocking with the other, or striking/blocking with both, spinning one around himself to strike multiple opponents, entangling his foes, and disarming them. Warhammer is truly a fright in combat with the skills, super-powers, and raw experience to take on four or five heroes at a time. 'Velvet '-- Tachete Killingsly was once the most famous for and held in the highest esteem for the rumor that she never lost a fight. As unlikely as that sounds, it's true. In one on one confrontations, Velvet has always come out the victor. Most people act on the assumption that Velvet is an anthropomorphic Turkish Angora. She certainly has the look of an anthro: she is four feet and nine inches tall, skin the color of perfect umbar, gold-green eyes with slitted pupils, and large feline ears poking out among waist length white tresses. She has documentation on public record certifying that she is an anthropomorphic feline created in Japan to serve as a companion for children. Her cover story is false. All of it. Velvet is in reality a Class-A combat bioroid created and programmed in Olympus. She is an undisputed master of nine Chinese martial disciplines including martial art weaponry. She is a four star marksman skilled in the use of firearms, explosives, and ordinance. Her speed and reflexes are three times that of a trained Navy SEAL. Outside of the Outsiders, whom she considers family, Velvet is cold, emotionless, and almost machine-like in the execution of her duties. Only at home is she relaxed and one can see her true nature: very loving and affectionate toward husband and daughter, concerned over everyone's welfare, and ensuring that her family gets enough rest, enough food, and are taken care of. She is, literally, the mother to everyone in The Outsiders family. 'Scattershot '-- Gunther Sandler was always something of a social misfit. Tall and gangly, with a nose a bit too large for his face, a first name that begged for teasing, and a passing resemblance to John Lennon that he was proud of Gunther spent most of his childhood being picked on but his sweet temperament allowed him to take it all in stride. He joined the Marines right out of high school and proved himself to be such a natural marksman that he early on earned the nickname Scattershot from his military brothers. After serving his obligatory four years as an MP, Gunther retired back to civilian life and used the military skills he learned to fight crime as the hero Scattershot. Even though he is now a wanted criminal nationwide, Scattershot's attitude hasn't changed much. He's still easy-going and quick to make jokes about himself. He can present an awkward enemy for heroes because even with his wanted status the guy is just likeable. Like all of the other Outsiders Scattershot refuses to take a life; and none of the ammunition he uses is lethal. But, it also doesn't need to be. Scattershot's best friend in the team is the alien Horoscopy, whom performed several mystic spells and rituals over Scattershot's primary weapon, a Model 12 SPAS Franchi shotgun. The weapon is enchanted so that it can never be taken from him, even if it is ripped out of his hands and destroyed it will return into his grasp, wholly restored, a second later. The weapon is able to be called by Scattershot instantly, even across vast distances. The weapon is able to project any kind of ammunition Scattershot desires, from solid slugs to lightning bursts to energy nets. In addition to the shotgun Scattershot is a trained military man, equally capable with unarmed combat, grenades, heavy ordinance, and demolitions. 'Prism '-- Cheyenne Xenon is the mutant daughter of Warhammer and Velvet. She began her hero career almost as soon as her powers surfaced, and was the driving force behind which the Outsiders decided to get into bed with Invictus. Like her grandfather, Prism is able to control the electromagnetic spectrum though not nearly to the degree that Borealis is. Prism is able to create offensive bursts of infrared, ultraviolet, x-ray, and gamma ray radiation. She can visibly see into each of these spectrums, and use the energy of the electromagnetic spectrum to fly. She gains her name from her power to intercept all forms of energy attacks, separate them out into their component parts, and then send them back at the source; rather like holding up a mirror to the sun. '''Raccoon -- Robin Hobart has the distinction of not only being one of the finest agents ever to come out of Olympic Industries labs but also of being the first agent to go rogue. Robin Hobart is not his true name. Even he doesn't know what it is or anything about his birth parents, we was delivered to OI and abandoned as an infant because of his unusual physical characteristics: large racoon ears, a matching fluffy tail, and fur covering the back of his hands and the tops of his feet. When Hobart's natural talents were realized he was paired with his partner Ginger Hollingsworth before his teens. For the next decade the two, code-named Racoon and Panda, became the deadliest assassins of Olympic Industries. Only when his handlers decided to execute Panda did Hobart's loyalty break. He slaughtered the agents sent in to kill Ginger and the two escaped together. They were found by Warhammer and Velvet by accident when they, in desperate need of money, attempted to rob a bank and were confronted by the two heroes. Rather than turn Racoon and Panda in, Warhammer and Velvet figuratively adopted them, training them to become heroes. Racoon, like Ginger, became unshakably loyal to the pair as a result. Racoon is a genetic mutant with an amazing healing factor. He is impervious to the effects of time, poisons, toxins, drugs, alcohol, and diseases. He is able to recuperate from all but the most severe of damage virtually instantly. All five of his senses operate on meta-human levels, which makes him particularly susceptible to attacks which target the senses. Additionally, Racoon is able to create and manipulate a substance, which he calls dark ectoplasm. With this substance he can bind foes, eliminate their sense of sight, or use tough rubbery strands as additional appendages; he is able to create up to ten suck 'ecto-arms' at one time. His training with Olympic Industries has made him a superb martial artist, acrobat, marksman, and knife fighter. He is able to kill with his bare hands. His most feared attack is known in the hero world as the One-Inch Punch, a close quarters strike that ruptures the tissues of the heart. He literally causes the heart to explode. Even tankers are afraid of Raccoon's One-Inch Punch because it affects them just as badly as it does any other foe. 'Panda '-- Ginger Hollingsworth is the mentalist of the Outsiders. She is able to receive quick and sometimes abstract psychic images of danger to herself and her team-mates. These precognitive flashes gets much stronger and much clearer the closer the danger is. These flashes prevent her from being taken by surprise or falling victim to ambushes. Her sixth sense is sharp enough that she is able to immediately sense another mentalist or mental powers perfectly within 500 feet; she can pinpoint the exact nature of the power being used and ''the person possessing them. Offensively, Panda is able to use her psychic prowess to overwhelm the electrical signals running through the body. She can shut down someone's senses, cause their nerves to fire off such extreme pain signals that they will pass out from unimaginable agony, and even block signals to vital organs such as the heart and lungs with the result that the victim suffers a fatal heart attack, a brain embolism, or asphyxiates to death. '''Blizkrieg '-- Nobody knows who Blitzkrieg is. There is no record of him ever having existed prior to when he joined The Outsiders. Only his name is known, Brian Svelt. As it's impossible for anyone to conceal their identity so perfectly, most in law enforcment believe that Bliztkrieg is likely an extraterrestrial even though he looks and acts completely human. Blitzkrieg is able to transform his own bio-energy into raw electricity for purposes of attack and defense. He can aim long arms of lightning strikes that can travel through metal and other condustive surfaces, lob explosive ball ligtning, generate Tesla cages, and even transform himself into pure electricity to enact a hasty getaway through electrical wires. Blitzkrieg's greatest weakness is against insulating material like rubber. Against a grounded foe his attacks are useless. 'Horoscopy '-- The Toogarth called Adann Hicclune is an extreme rarity among his species: a humanoid triceratops that does not agree that humanity should be obliterated for the sake of the Toogarth species. Adding to his reputation is that unlike any other known Toogarth, Horoscopy disdains technology in favor of magic. He is, truly, an outsider; especially among his own kind. Horoscopy is a powerful magician well-versed in the school and application of conjuration and transmutation. He is able, with the appropriate time and materials and preparation able to conjure up anything her likes or change one substance into another ala the alchemists of old. He is not a 'warrior-mage' to use the proper parlance, he doesn't fry enemies on the battlefield with spells. No, for hand to hand combat or engaging in superheroes he uses the tried and true method of super-human strength, strong resistance to damage, and knocking people willy-nilly with a thick baton that also doubles as a taser weapon. The Outsiders & Dire Invictus When Invuctis first approached the Outsiders, finding them hiding out in a long forgotten warehouse in The Row, the former heroes were extremely reluctant to have anything to do with her. The Outsiders didn't agree with Invictus idea of a utopian world of peace and non-violence with herself on the throne; they had previously had far too much interaction with would-be conquerors. The Outsiders understood all too well that a tyrant wanting everlasting world peace is still a tyrant. Of all of The Outsiders only Cheyenne Xenon, Prism, was interested in hearing what Invictus had to say. She encouraged Invictus to continue to return. In between Invictus' visits Prism argued vehemently on the tiny conqueror's plans which would only prove useful as Invictus continued to return and lay out her plans and theories on how the world could be brought under her control without violence, bloodshed, or threats to innocent civilians. When Invictus offered irrefutable proof to the Outsiders that her plans could work by explaining exactly how she had caused the Extant Event and where the missing heroes and villains were did the rest of The Outsiders begin to listen. Invictus finally secured The Outsiders' trust and loyalty when she gave them the absolute--and heartfelt--promise that if any other individual making up the totality of The Blackmar went too far The Outsiders would be allowed to act as the Genocide Agenda's elite police force and given the authority to take that mastermind down. Once secure in the knowledge that Invictus wasn't lying or would go back on her word The Outsiders enlisted. Today, The Outsiders still act as the Agenda's super-elite team of police, carefully watching the other members of The Blackmar and issuing warnings when one of the criminal masterminds gets a bit too rough, or defies Invictus' instructions. Without wholly realizing it, The Outsiders are the glue that holds the entire Genocide Agenda together for fear of reprisal; none of the other Blackmar masterminds really want to incur the wrath of someone like Warhammer. For superheroes, The Outsiders remain a constant conflict of morals. On the one hand, the team of former superheroes are wanted criminals on charges ranging from manslaughter to assault. On the other hand each of The Outsiders remains, at heart, a noble individual whom absolutely refuses to harm an innocent civilian. The Outsiders' beef is with superheroes, not the public and this outlook makes it extremely difficult for law abiding superheroes to just chuck that point aside and move in to make arrests. In the event that The Outsiders were to learn of Dire Invictus' true aspirations they would undoubtedly turn against her without hesitation and alert superheroes to the threat. They would also undoubtedly join forces with superheroes and law enforcement to take down not only Invictus but the entire Genocide Agenda organization down to the last agent. In this act, and this act alone, The Outsiders may finally find redemption but unless this exact circumstance unfolds it is very unlikely that The Outsiders will ever have the opportunity to prove that they have been innocent of the murder of an ambassador which called their fall from grace.